Orkney – Scotland Info Guide A Guide to the Scottish Highlands Islands and Mainland Orkney The Orkney Islands in the north of Scotland consists of about 20 inhabited islands plus 50 others, some quite small, and is 16 km (aprox. 10 miles) north of Caithness in northern mainland Scotland. The largest island in the group is known as the Mainland and has an area of 202 square miles, making it the sixth largest Scottish island and the ninth largest island surrounding Great Britain. An older name for the Mainland is Hrossey (Horse-island). Other islands can be classified as north or south of the Mainland. The islands north of the Mainland are known collectively as the North Isles, those to the south as the South Isles. All the islands together are 990 square kilometres and the total population is around is 19,500.

The northern isles are: Auskerry, Calf of Eday, Damsay, Eday, Egilsay, Eynhallow, Faray, Gairsay, Helliar Holm, Holm of Faray, Holm of Huip, Holm of Papay, Holm of Scockness, Kili Holm, Linga Holm, Muckle Green Holm, North Ronaldsay, Papa Stronsay, Papa Westray, Rousay, Rusk Holm, Sanday, Shapinsay, Stronsay, Sweyn Holm, Westray and Wyre. The southern islands, mostly surrounded round the Scapa Flow are: Burray, Calf of Flotta, Cava, Copinsay, Corn Holm, Fara, Flotta, Glims Holm, Graemsay, Hoy, Hunda, Lamb Holm, Rysa Little, South Ronaldsay, Switha and Swona. Orkney’s History The rapid spread of Neolithic culture up the western seaways brought early Megalithic culture and farming settlements such as Knap of Howar from 3500 BC and the slightly later village at Skara Brae.

Numerous chambered cairns include the magnificent Maeshowe passage grave, near the Ring of Brodgar and other standing stones. The Iron age inhabitants were Picts, evidence of whose occupation still exists in “weems” or underground houses, and “brochs” or round towers. Vikings having made the islands the headquarters of their expeditions against Norway and the Scottish Islands. Harold Hårfagre (“Fair Hair”) subdued the rovers in 875 and annexed both Orkney and Shetland to Norway. The martyrdom of Earl Magnus resulted in the building of St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. The islands remained under the rule of Norse earls until 1231. In 1564, Lord Robert Stewart was made sheriff of Orkney and Shetland, and received possession of the estates of the udallers; in 1581, he was created earl of Orkney by James VI of Scotland. The islands were the rendezvous of Montrose’s expedition in 1650 which culminated in his imprisonment and death.

During the Protectorate, they were visited by a detachment of Cromwell’s troops, who initiated the inhabitants into various industrial arts and new methods of agriculture. In 1707, the islands were granted to the earl of Morton in mortgage but in 1766, his estates were sold to Sir Lawrence Dundas, ancestor of the Earls of Zetland. During World War I and World War II, the Royal Navy had a major base at Scapa Flow. The base was closed in 1956. In the Arthurian legend, Orkney is the home to King Lot, Sir Gareth, Sir Gaheris, Sir Gawaine and Sir Agravain. Located in West Mainland is the ‘Heart of Neolithic Orkney’, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. This comprises a group of Neolithic monuments which consist of a large chambered tomb (Maes Howe), two ceremonial stone circles (the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar) and a settlement (Skara Brae), together with a number of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites.

The group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape which gives a graphic depiction of life in this remote archipelago in the far north of Scotland some 5,000 years ago. Kirkwall Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands. The town is first mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046. In 1486 King James III of Scotland elevated Kirkwall to the status of a Royal Burgh, as is shown by the road signs as you enter Kirkwall, ‘The City and Royal Burgh of Kirkwall’. The name Kirkwall is derived from the Norse name ‘Kirkjuvagr’, or ‘church bay’. This was later corrupted to ‘Kirkvoe’ and then ‘Kirkwaa’. English cartographers mistook the latter part ‘waa’ as the Scots wa meaning wall, hence the town became ‘Kirkwall’. Kirkwall has a port with ferry services to Aberdeen and Lerwick, as well as the principal north islands in the group. Kirkwall is a small town, with a population of about 8,500. At the heart of the town stands St Magnus Cathedral.

It was founded in memory of Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney 1108-1117 by Earl Rögnvald Kali. Next to the Cathedral are the ruins of the former Bishop’s Palace and Earl’s Palace. The town has two museums: Tankerness House Museum, which is contained within one of Scotland’s best-preserved sixteenth century town-houses, contains items of local historical interest. The prehistoric, Pictish and Viking collections are of international importance. The other museum is the small ‘Wireless Museum’, dealing with the history of radio and recorded sound. Kirkwall is one of the most attractive and well-preserved small towns in Scotland. Apart from the main historical buildings, there are many 17th-18th century houses and other structures in the local vernacular style. On the west edge of the town, surrounded by Hatston Industral Estate, is a prehistoric ancient monument, Grain Earth House (Historic Scotland), a short low stone-walled passage deep underground leading to a small pillared chamber. This is the form of earth house or souterrain characteristic of the Northern Isles (though Grain is unusually deep below ground).

One of the main annual events in the town is the Ba Game, held each Christmas Day and New Year’s Day between the Uppies and the Doonies; each team representing one half of the town. Stromness Stromness is the second-largest town in the Orkney Islands, and is located in the south west of the mainland of Orkney. A long-established seaport, it has a population of approximately 2,200 residents. The old town is clustered along the main street, flanked with houses and shops built from local stone, with narrow lanes and alleys branching off it. There is a ferry link from Stromness to Scrabster on the north coast of mainland Scotland. Stromness became important during the late 17th century, when England was at war with France and shipping was forced to avoid the English Channel. Ships of the Hudson’s Bay Company were regular visitors, as were whaling fleets. Stromness Museum reflects these aspects of the town’s history. St Margaret’s Hope St Margaret’s Hope, known locally as The Hope is Orkney’s third largest settlement, after Kirkwall and Stromness.

It has a population of about 550, and is situated at the head of a sheltered bay at the north end of South Ronaldsay, off Water Sound. It is South Ronaldsay’s main village, and is named after Margaret of Norway who died there. The village has a primary school, a small blacksmith’s museum, a number of shops and restaurants including the noteworthy Creel Inn. A ferry service runs to Gills Bay on the Scottish mainland three times daily, with an average time of an hour one-way. Hoy Hoy is the second largest of the Orkney Islands after the Mainland. The dramatic coastline of Hoy is what usually greets visitors travelling to the Orkney Islands by ferry from the Scottish mainland. It has extremes of many kinds: some of the highest cliffs in the UK at St John’s Head; the impressive and famous sea stack, the Old Man of Hoy; some of the most northerly surviving natural woodland in the British Isles; the remote possibility that Arctic Char survive in Heldale Water and the most northerly Martello Towers, which were built to defend the area during the Napoleonic War, but were never used in combat.

The highest point in Orkney, Ward Hill, is found on Hoy. Whisky Distilleries The Orkneys are home to two Whisky Distilleries. The Highland Park Distillery is the northernmost Scotch Whisky distillery in the world. Tours are available all year round. Check on their website for exact opening times. You can contact them by Tel:+44(0) 1856 874619 or email: distillery@highlandpark.co.uk Scapa Distillery located at the Scapa flow, was the final resting place for some of the German fleet scuttled there at the end of WWI. Scapa Distillery was owned for a while by the owners of Glen Scotia distillery, but is now owned by Pernod Ricard. The Distillery was Mothballed in 1994 and in 2004 re-furbished and restored. Scapa Distillery misses out to Highland Park on being the most northerly distillery by ½ mile. Scapa Distillery is located at St. Ola, Kirkwall.

Visiting the distillery is possible, for information call them on: +44 )0) 1856 872071 The orkneys can be reached by ferry through the following routes: Lerwick Shetlands to Kirkwall Orkneyjar - Where is Orkney? Where is Orkney? "Beyond Britannia, where the endless ocean opens, lies Orkney." Orosius, fifth century AD The Orkney Islands lie off the northern tip of Scotland, where the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. Orkney is made up of 70, or so, islands — of which, only 16 are inhabited. Exact agreement as to the total number of islands is difficult as many are little more than skerries - small uninhabited islets. Lying on latitude 59 degrees north - which is only 50 miles south of Greenland - Orkney is, at its widest, 30 miles from east to west and 53 miles north to south.

With a total coastline of approximately 570 miles, the islands cover an area of 974 square kilometres (376 square miles), more than half of which is taken up by the Mainland, the group's largest island. Orkney can be divided into three distinct regions - the North Isles, the South Isles and the Mainland. Of the islands, less than one-third are inhabited, the islands having a total population of 19, 245 (2001 census). The majority of people live on the Mainland, with the greatest population concentrations being around the main towns of Kirkwall and Stromness . The principal island is now simply referred to as " the Mainland " - a corruption of the Old Norse "Meginland". The Norse originally referred to the island as "Hrossey", meaning "Horse Island" in Old Norse. The erroneous name "Pomona" can still sometimes be seen on the occasional modern map, but this stems from a Latin mistranslation and has never been used by Orcadians. Click here for full details on the meaning of the name "Orkney".

The Mainland can be divided into two "sectors" by an invisible line that runs roughly between Kirkwall and Scapa. These are known locally as the East Mainland and West Mainland. The usual way to refer to a location within these areas is to refer to their parish. The Mainland is sub-divided into 13 parishes, these being: West Mainland: Kirkwall | VisitOrkney Back to About Orkney Orkney's capital is vibrant, busy and the islands' largest town. With great shops, restaurants and bars, it is popular with visitors eager to experience Orkney's unique culture, heritage and traditions. Orkney's ancient capital can be traced back to Norse times in the 11th century when it was called Kirkjuvagr - the church of the bay. Kirkwall was granted Royal Burgh status by James III of Scotland in 1486. How times change. Back then, the sea lapped the steps of the cathedral . Today, much of the land has been reclaimed and reassuringly Kirkwall retains its charm and original character.

It is a key transport hub for bus routes across mainland Orkney and the port for ferries to Aberdeen, Shetland and the North Isles. Kirkwall Airport, with links to Scotland, Shetland and in the summer months Norway, is about three miles from the town. A warm welcome awaits you! The top of Kirkwall's Broad Street opposite St Magnus Cathedral. The harbour front. Bishop's Palace in Kirkwall complete with Orkney flag. Performers outside St Magnus Cathedral at festival time. Kirkwall's skyline is dominated by the magnificent St Magnus Cathedral . Known as The Light of the North, visitors can enjoy guided tours of one of the finest examples of medieval architecture to be found in Britain. Close by, Earl's and Bishop's palaces provide a chilling reminder of Orkney's turbulent past, while at the Orkney Museum in Tankerness House you'll learn much more about the islands' history and enjoy a leisurely stroll in its delightful walled gardens. A visit to Kirkwall will also give you the opportunity to indulge in one of the nation's favourite pastimes - shopping!

However, in Orkney the experience is anything but routine and whether you are looking for essential supplies or that special gift to take home Kirkwall's thriving town centre is alive with character and originality. Orkney remains an inspiration for the island's creative community with local jewellery, arts, crafts and contemporary fashion sold by independent retailers and designers. Orkney's streets are refreshingly free from the usual high street names. Artisan bakeries, quality butchers and privately owned grocery stores ensure visitors and residents alike have a wide choice of the finest local and international produce to enjoy. And with three supermarkets located nearby, Kirkwall caters for everyone! The town boasts excellent amenities and services, including the Pickaquoy Centre , a multi-purpose sports and leisure arena with a swimming pool, fitness and health suites, squash courts, gym, cinema and cafe. There are also numerous theatre venues, notably at Kirkwall's impressive new grammar school, while live music - Orkney style - can be heard most nights from the many bars that illuminate the town as the sun goes down.

Orkney - Accommodation, Attractions & Holidays | VisitScotland Greater Glasgow and The Clyde Valley The Highlands Loch Lomond, The Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley Orkney Orkney Destinations and maps Add to basket Remove from basket Plus Minus Add to trip planner Remove from trip planner Orkney Come to Orkney for the wildlife, the beaches and the history, and we reckon that you'll fall for the culture and the creativity too. This archipelago of around 70 islands lies north of mainland Scotland and was voted one of the UK's top 10 islands in the 2015 TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards, which is no mean feat! Island life With a unique culture and history, Orkney has a strong identity of its own. The largest island, and also the most populated, is known as the Mainland. On the East Mainland coast lies Kirkwall , the ancient capital of Orkney, with its Viking cathedral, fishing port and distillery. The archipelago's other main port and town, Stromness, is located in the south of West Mainland.

It's a highly creative place with many crafty gift shops and art galleries amongst its old, winding streets. Walk like an Egyptian Did you know that the island of Rousay is known as the 'Egypt of The North' because it's home to over 150 archaeological sites, including a 5,000 year old chambered tomb? In fact, the ancient settlement of Skara Brae on the Mainland is older than the Pyramids, and, together with the dramatic Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe Chambered Cairn, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. And that's just one aspect of Orkney's fascinating history. Back to nature Award-winning beaches, fantastic wildlife, dramatic sea stacks and rugged cliffs - what more could you want? Let's take a closer look: Nice and beachy - when you see the white sands and turquoise waters of Orkney's beaches, you might mistakenly think you're in the Caribbean. Puffins, fulmars and rare birds - Orkney happens to be on one of the busiest flight paths for migrating birds, with tens of thousands of birds and hundreds of species spotted each year.

All going swimmingly - porpoises, dolphins, whales and other sealife can be spotted on and around Orkney's shores, and underwater creatures can be found in rock pools and on dives too. Rocking through the ages - there are rugged cliffs, deep caves, rocky skerries and dramatic sea stacks to be seen, and sometimes climbed, dotted along hundreds of miles of coast. Northern lights - Orkney is considered to be one of the best places in the UK to see the magical Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights . Extra info Hoy and Graemsay | Orkney.com Hoy and Graemsay Menu Hoy and Graemsay Hoy is Orkney’s second largest island and dramatically rises from the sea with mountainous moorland and glacial valleys, appearing more like a highland landscape than a typical Orkney low-lying island. The Vikings named it High Island and Orkney’s highest peak, Ward Hill reaches 1,570 feet (479 metres) and is accessible to climb.

The north end of the island is the most rugged part with the cliff of St John’s Head at 1,136t feet (346 metres) the highest perpendicular cliff in Britain. Click to Enlarge Looking across to the Kame in Hoy Click to Enlarge The island of Graemsay with Hoy's hills in the background Click to Enlarge The Lyness Naval Cemetery in Hoy Click to Enlarge A view across Rackwick beach Click to Enlarge Looking towards Hoy Low lighthouse in Graemsay Click to Enlarge The boulders of Rackwick beach in Hoy Click to Enlarge The Dwarfie Stane, which can be found on the road to Rackwick in Hoy Click to Enlarge Some of the wartime remains at Lyness - image by Mary Harris Click to Enlarge A tour of the Lyness site in process Click to Enlarge One of Orkney's most iconic landmarks, the Old Man of Hoy Click to Enlarge A view across to Hoy from the Orkney mainland Nearby is the famous sea stack the Old Man of Hoy, an iconic landmark. A scenic path recently restored, from Rackwick, a hamlet set in a dramatic bay, takes you to the Old Man.

Also in the north is the Dwarfie Stane, a chambered tomb cut into rock dating from around 3,000BC. Orkney mythology tells of a giant and his wife hollowing out the rock and another tale of an evil dwarf who lived there. The area is also welcoming new visitors now because of the arrival of a pair of juvenile sea eagles above the Stane. It's believed the pair are attempting to nest at the site. At a lonely moorland spot is the sad grave of Betty Corrigall who in the 1770s was driven to take her own life after she became pregnant. Nearly 10,000 acres of moorland and sea cliffs form the RSPB Hoy Nature Reserve . Berriedale is a sheltered valley supporting Britain’s most northerly native woodland. The north end of Hoy is an ornithologists’ and botanists’ mecca. This beautiful short film from local wildlife camerman Raymond Besant showcases Hoy - the high island - in all its glory.

The beach at Rackwick is a popular attraction in Hoy Most of the island's 400-strong population live in the low-lying south around the villages of Lyness and Longhope on South Walls. The Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and Museum in Lyness tells the story of the vital role Hoy played in two world wars when Scapa Flow was the main Royal Navy anchorage. There are fantastic wartime remains and a tour of the site is available during the summer. You can also see a memorial to the men who served on the Arctic Convoys between Scotland and Russia, and the Lyness Naval Cemetery. Other places to visit include Melsetter House and walled gardens (by appointment), the Napoleonic era Martello Tower and Battery at Hackness , the Longhope Lifeboat Museum and Memorial which honours eight lifeboatmen lost in 1969 and Osmondwall, a Viking anchorage where Sigurd the Stout chose Christianity, rather than death. There are two hotels on Hoy, several B&Bs, self catering cottages, a bothy at Rackwick and the Hoy Centre hostel .

A car ferry runs from Houton to Lyness and a foot ferry from Stromness via Graemsay to Moaness in the north end of Hoy. The small island of Graemsay lies between Hoy and Stromness. It has two lighthouses, Hoy High and Hoy Low, designed by Alan Stevenson. The post office is open two hours per day. The population is in the low 20s and children travel to school by boat to Stromness. Inside Explore Orkney Orkney Main Page Orkney Main Page The local people are known as Orcadians Landmarks and Places of Interest The Old Man of Hoy Scapa Flow - HQ for the north Atlantic naval fleet in both world wars Maeshowe Chambered Cairn - Stone circles at Stenness and Brodgar Monoliths, Setter Stone of Eday, Yetnasteen of Rousay and North Ronaldsay’s Stan Stane. Skara Brae, a well-preserved Neolithic village on the edge of the bay of Skaill. Area 990 Sq. km (380 sq.

miles) Population County Flower - Alpine Bearberry Orkney, also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in northern Scotland comprising approximately 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island is known as the "Mainland". Orkney is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, a constituency of the Scottish Parliament, a lieutenancy area, and a former county. The islands are mainly low-lying except for some sandstone hills on Hoy, Mainland and Rousay and rugged cliffs on some western coasts. Nearly all of the islands have lochs, but the watercourses are merely streams draining the high land. The coastlines are indented, and the islands themselves are divided from each other by straits generally called "sounds" or "firths". The Parishes of Orkney Numbers in [..] refer to Parish Map below Birsay [1] Burray -- see South Ronaldshay; [17] Deerness; [2] Islands with an area greater than 15 hectares (approximately 37 acres).

Auskerry Wyre Smaller islets and skerries Uninhabited smaller Orkney islands (many of which are called "Holm" from the Old Norse holmr, meaning a small and rounded islet), tidal islets only separated at higher stages of the tide, or skerries which are only exposed at lower stages of the tide. In the vicinity of: Auskerry: Lunga Skerries, Oessen Skerry, The Clett. Calf of Eday: Lashy Skerries, The Bow. Cava: Barrel of Butter. Copinsay: Black Holm, Corn Holm, Horse of Copinsay, Scarf Skerry, Sow Skerry, Ward Holm. Eday: Green Holm, Red Holm, Rusk Holm. Egilsay: Kili Holm. Gairsay: Holm of Boray, Holm of Rendall, Little Seal Skerry, Skertours, Taing Skerry. Glims Holm: Dulse Skerry, Glimpsholm Skerry. Graemsay: Middle Skerry, Skerry of Cletts, Sour Skerry, Sow Skerry.

Hoy: Grassy Cletts, Inner Skerry, Middle Skerry, Old Man of Hoy, Outer Skerry, The Needle. Mainland: Bo Skerry, Bow Skerries, Braga, Brough of Bigging, Holm of Houton, Holm of Rendall, Iceland Skerry, Kirk Rocks, Little Skerry, Mirkady Point, Nevi Skerry, Outer Holm, Oyster Skerries, Puldrite Skerry, Quanterness Skerry, Scare Gun, Seal Skerry, Skaill Skerries, Skerries of Clestrain, Skerries of Coubister, Skerries of Lakequoy, Skerry of Work, Skerry of Yinstay, Smoogro Skerry, Thieves Holm, Whyabatten, Yesnaby Castle. Muckle Skerry: Clettack Skerry, Little Skerry, Louther Skerry. North Ronaldsay: Altars of Linnay, Green Skerry, Hoe Skerries, Reefdyke, Seal Skerry. Papa Stronsay: Jack's Hole, Jack's Reef. Papa Westray: Cairn Head, Muckle Quoy.

Rousay: Little Brig, Muckle Brig. Sanday: Baa Gruna, Islands of Scotland - DocuWiki Islands of Scotland Nature Documentary hosted by John Carmichael and published by Others in 2005 - English , Gaelic (Scottish) Multilanguage narration also known as [ edit ] Information Over six distinct journeys, marvel at the staggering beauty of Scotland's islands from the air. The latest in challenging aerial photography technology shows the islands in a dramatic new light, from some of the remotest islands in the UK, to some that are within easy reach of Scotland's mainland cities. This stunning television series was funded by Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gàidhlig and originally produced in the Gaelic language by SMG TV Productions. Its title, 'Iomall nan Tonn' - 'The Edge of the Waves' - is beautifully appropriate.

Isle of Skye and The Small Isles (Muck, Eigg, Rum, Sanday, Canna) The Orkney Isles Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Gigha The Shetland Islands Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree The Western Isles [ edit ] Isle of Skye and The Small Isles Skye or the Isle of Skye (Scottish Gaelic An t-Eilean Sgitheanach), is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills. Although it has been suggested that the Gaelic name describes this shape there is no definitive agreement as to its origins. The island has been occupied since the Mesolithic and has a colourful history including a time of Norse rule and a long period of domination by clans Leod and Donald. The events of the 19th century had a devastating impact on the human population, which today numbers around 9,200. In contrast to many other Scottish islands this represents a 4% increase from the census of 1991.The residents are augmented in the summer by large numbers of tourists and visitors.

The main industries are tourism, agriculture, fishing and whisky-distilling. The largest settlement is Portree, which is known for its picturesque harbour. Just over 30% of the residents on Skye speak Gaelic. [ edit ] The Orkney Isles Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or, incorrectly, the Orkneys) is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km) north of the coast of Caithness. Orkney comprises over 70 islands; around 20 are inhabited. The largest island, known as "Mainland," has an area of 202 sq mi (523 km²), making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. The largest settlement and administrative centre is Kirkwall. Orkney has been inhabited for at least 5,500 years. Originally inhabited by neolithic tribes and then by the Picts, Orkney was invaded and finally annexed by Norway in 875 and settled by the Norse.

It was subsequently re-annexed to the Scottish Crown in 1472, following the failed payment of a dowry for James III's bride, Margaret of Denmark. Orkney contains some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe, and the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. [ edit ] Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Gigha Islay ( Scottish Gaelic: Ìle), a Scottish island, known as "The Queen of the Hebrides" (Banrìgh nan Eilean), is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. It lies in Argyll just to the west of Jura and around 25 miles (40 km) north of the Irish coast, which can be seen on a clear day. The island's capital is Bowmore, famous for its distillery and distinctive round Kilarrow Parish Church. Port Ellen is the largest settlement. Islay is the fifth largest Scottish island and the sixth largest island surrounding Britain. The island is home to many bird species and is a popular destination throughout the year with bird watchers, notably in February to see a large colony of barnacle geese.

Resident birds include chough, hen harrier, sea eagle, oystercatcher, cormorant and many wading birds. [ edit ] The Shetland Islands The Shetland Islands comprisies more than a hundred islands, just 15 of them inhabited, span the hundred miles (145km) between Fair Isle and Out Stack, the northernmost point of Britain. This bustling archipelago of 22,500 people boasts abundant wildlife, a spectacular coastline and dozens of major archaeological sites. The 567 sq. mile (1468km²) county of Shetland is an entrancing mixture of Scotland and Norway. [ edit ] Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree The Isle of Mull or simply Mull (Scottish Gaelic Muile) is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute. With an area of 875.35 square kilometres (337.97 sq mi) Mull is the fourth largest Scottish island and the fourth largest island surrounding Great Britain.

In the 2001 census the usual resident population of Mull was 2,667; in the summer this is supplemented by many more tourists. Much of the population lives in Tobermory, the only burgh on the island until 1973, and its capital. The island is home to over 250 different bird species including the White-tailed Eagle, which was reintroduced in the nearby Island of Rùm and migrated to Mull, where it now has a stronghold. Minke whales, porpoises and dolphins are among the sea life that can be seen on boat tours from Mull. [ edit ] The Western Isles The Outer Hebrides, (officially known for local government purposes by the Gaelic name, Na h-Eileanan Siar) comprise an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The local government area is one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. The island chain forms part of the Hebrides, separated from the Scottish mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the stormy waters of the Minch, the Little Minch and the Sea of the Hebrides.

On the island chain Scottish Gaelic formerly was the dominant language, and remains widely spoken even though in some areas it has now been largely supplanted by English. The Ring of Brodgar, the Neolithic Henge of Orkney Island | Ancient Origins 6 March, 2014 - 10:43 gregsorrell The Ring of Brodgar, the Neolithic Henge of Orkney Island (Read the article on one page) On the largest island of Orkney, Scotland called The Mainland, amongst the rugged cliffs and almost constant wind, there sits a Neolithic henge and stone circle known as The Ring of Brodgar. It is the third largest circle in the British Isles after Avebury & Stonehenge. Built in a true circle, the Ring of Brodgar is thought to have been originally composed of 60 individual stones, though presently there are 27 intact. The stones themselves are of red sandstone and vary in height from 7-15 feet. The stones are surrounded by a large circular ditch or henge. Orkney is located in a truly fascinating area made up of around seventy islands, most of which are uninhabited.

There are ancient monuments on nearly every corner of the islands and most of the nearly 3,000 identified Neolithic sites in the area are in remarkable condition. The earliest surviving mention of the Orkney Islands comes to us from the accounts of Roman geographer Diodorus Siculus in 56BC. The Ring of Brodgar was constructed around 2600BC, within a hundred years of the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. The astronomical importance of Stonehenge and Avebury are well documented and the same is true for the Ring of Brodgar. It seems that Brodgar was part of an enormous prehistoric ritual complex that also incorporated The Stones of Stenness, one mile to the Southeast & the Ring of Bookan to the Northwest. Interestingly, if you were to overlay the stars of Orion’s Belt over a map of Stenness, Brodgar and Bookan you get a matching layout. Why were they built? Theories about the true purpose of the Ring of Brodgar and the surrounding sites are many and varied. Festivals of thanks, places for animal sacrifice, general meeting areas, religious temples, and funerary complexes are just some of the explanations that have been given.

However, in the 1960s a man named Alexander Thom concluded that the Ring of Brodgar and many of the other megalithic sites in the area were astronomical observatories. An expert in the field of archeo-astronomy, Thom spent decades studying the stone circles. He discovered that all these sites seemed to show remarkable geometric precision despite having been built long before the age of Pythagoras. Thom said, “The Brodgar site is the most perfect example of a megalithic lunar observatory we have left in Britan. The ring and ditch were probably placed on this hill at first because from here there are four far-sights marking the approximate position for the rising and/or setting of the moon at the major and minor standstills. Large mounds were built so that watchers could be placed on the top to warn people below of the impending rising of the moon.” This would mean that the Ring of Brodgar was part of a scientific instrument. For its ancient users it may well have provided a horizon that was perfectly flat in all directions and allowed the heavens to be viewed as an exact hemisphere.

Whether or not the Brodgar stones were used to measure the passage of time or the position of the stars and their relation to growing seasons, the area in which the circle is built is ideal for these purposes. Using natural landmarks like dips between the surrounding hills, it becomes very easy to chart the seasons from the positions of the ring and setting sun throughout the year. Whatever the true purpose for The Ring of Brodgar and the surrounding sites, the people who built them went to a great deal of trouble to put them at this particular northern latitude. Other than the stones themselves, and the very apparent and curious astronomical alignments found therein, so little remains of the people that built the henge that it becomes difficult to offer anything but speculations. As we’ve learned there are thousands of these sites in the surrounding areas and it certainly is curious that there can be so many monuments and so little evidence left of the settlements and lives of the people who built them. The remains of the earthworks or henge can still be seen today. Photo source: Wikimedia According to Aubrey Burl, the Ring of Brodgar could have held 3,000 people if there was any sort of timber placed above the standing stones as a roof.

It’s an incredible size for such a place considering that in April of 2008, environmental coring results revealed that prior to around 1500BC the area was a marshy bog. Colin Renfrew has estimated that the amount of labor needed to cut just the ditch into the bedrock was at the very least 100,000 man hours. Other studies have shown the number to be anywhere from 85,000 to 200,000 man hours. We can figure that if 40 men worked 50 hours every week through all the seasons that it would have taken at least a full year to cut the henge alone. These workers would have needed food, clothing, shelter and tools. Considering, as mentioned earlier, that this area was a marshy bog at the time of construction (if we are to presume that all of our dating methods are indeed accurate) we must also realize that there would be very minimal amounts of fuel on the islands and certainly no timber for houses or boats.

Question: What is the largest of the Orkney Islands known as?
Answer: MAINLAND